Wood-cutting machine



(lf ikzim (No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. F. HUTGHINSON. WOOD CUTTING MACHINE.

-No 552,614. Patented Jan. 7, 896.

(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. P. HUTGHINSON. WOOD CUTTING MACHINE.

- No. 552,614. Patented Jan. 7, 1896.

11 WITNESSES.

INVENTOH (No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 3.

W. F. HUTGHINSON.

WOOD CUTTING MACHINE.

JZZZZZM IWENTOB v Patented Jan. 7, 1896.

' MMM (-No Model.) 7 5 Sheets sheet 5.

- W. F. HUTCHINSON.

WOOD CUTTING MACHINE- Pdtented Jan.

WITNESSES INVENTOI? I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM F. IIUTGIIINSON, OF PASSAIC, NEV JERSEY.

, WOOD-CUTTING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 552,614, dated January7, 1896.

I Application filed July 24:, 1894. Serial No. 518,452. (No model.)

' wood-cutting machines, and particularly to machines for cuttingkindling-wood, although my machine may be used for cutting othermaterial; and the object of my invention is to produce a machine capableof operating on the roughest kind of wood without regard to its shape oras to whether it is knotty, and which will quickly cut or saw the woodinto blocks or sticks of desired dimensions; and a further object of myinvention is to produce a machine which utilizes a double series ofband-saws arranged with one series above the other and preferably atright angles to each other, so that when a block of wood is dropped uponthe top saws they will strip it in one direction while the saws beneathwill strip it in the opposite direction, and thus when the block haspassed throughithe machine it will be cut into sticks suitable forkindling-wood or perhaps for other purposes.

Another object of my invention is to provide a simple and convenientmeans for adjusting the saws, the guides for the same and the guide forthe wood, so that the machine may be quickly and nicely adapted to cutsticks of required dimensions, also to provide a carrier which willreceive the prepared wood and convey it to a desired point, and ingeneral to produce a machine which may be operated by an unskilledperson and will cut up wood with great speed and nicety- To these endsmy invention consists of certain features of construction andC-OlllblIliln tions of parts, which will be hereinafter described andclaimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart ofthis specification, in which similar figures of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a plan view of one half of the machine. Fig. 2 is a similarplan view of the other half of the machine. Fig. 3 is an elevation,looking in the direction of the arrow Fig. l is a detail cross-sectiononthe line 4 lot Figs. 1 and 2, showing the arrangement of the saws, theWood-guide and the wood in. the act of being sawed. Fig. 5 is anenlarged detail perspective view of the woodguide. Fig. 6 is asectionalplan of one of the saw-drum supports and illustrates the means foradjusting the same. Fig. 7 is a vertical cross-section on the line 7 7of Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a broken detail sectional View of one of theband-saws with the guide and the brace for the saw. Fig. 9 is anenlarged detail sectional View on the line 9 9 of Fig. 8; and Fig. 10.is a View of one of the saw-guides which is adapted to give to the saw aquarter-turn.

The machine is provided with a suitable frame 10, and on this issupported a series of drums 11, which are arranged in pairs oppositeeach other and on opposite sides of the machine, the drums being of theusual kind for carrying band-saws, and they are driven by pulleys 12 onthe drum-shafts. lhe drums 11 are mounted in suitable bearings 13 onbrackets 14, and one bracket of each pair of drums is mounted on aslideway 15, as best shown in Figs. 6 and 7, and is provided, nearopposite sides, with screws 16, which enter lugs 17 on the under side ofthe bracket and which are journaled in the base of the frame 10, thesescrews being provided, at their outer ends, with beveled pinions 19,which engage pinions 20 on a shaft 21, the latter being journaled insuitable supports 22 and having, at one end, which is easily reached, ahandwheel 23, and thus, by turning the hand-wheel, the shaft 21 and itspinions are turned and both screws 17 are similarly and simultaneouslymoved, so that both. sides of the bracket are moved at once and a steadyeven movement imparted to the drum 11, which is carried by the bracket,and in this way the space between opposite drums may be controlled andthe tension of the saws carried by the.

drums regulated.

One pair of drums is arranged at a slightlylower level than the other,and each pair of drums carriesa series of parallel band-saws 24:, thenumber of saws depending upon the kind of wood to be sawed, and theseries of aws cross at right angles, as shown best in Figs. 1 and 2, sothat one series or set of saws saws wood in one direction, while theother saws saw it at right angles to the first cut.

It is of course necessary to turn the saws up edgewise at a point wherethey saw the wood, and as this cannot be done at once withoutmateriallystraining the saws the following guide mechanism is employed: Each saw24, soon after it leaves the drum 11, passes between guide-rollers 25,(see Fig. 10,) which are arranged to give the saw a quarter-turn and aresupported on blocks 26, and near the center of the machine the sawpasses between horizontally-turning rollers 27, which are supported on ablock 23, as shown in Fig. 9, and this completes the guiding of the sawand turns it up into a vertical position, as the drawing shows. Thereare two sets of these last guides for each set of saws, these beingplaced on opposite sides of the center of the machine, as shown in Figs.1 and 2, so as to hold the center or working portions of the saws in avertical position, and there are also two sets of the inclinedguide-rollers, which are arranged nearer the drums and which case thestrain on the saws.

The blocks 26 and 28 are fastened to crossbars 29, which are arranged atright angles to each other and are in parallel pairs, as shown in Figs.1 and 2, and the several guides of each set are arranged on two barsinstead of one, for convenience, as this enables the blocks to be placedless closely together. The cross-bars 29 have end bearings ,30, whichare fastened by ordinary set-screws to supporting-bars 31, which arealso arranged at right angles to each other and are supported on arms32, which are secured to the brackets 14:, (see Fig. 3;) but thecross-bars may be supported in any other convenient position. Thearrangement just described enables the crossbars 29 and their guides tobe adjusted in and out, as desired.

Each saw 2i while turned into avertical position, as in Fig. 9, travelsacross a brace 33, whichv is of the same thickness as the saw, so as notto interfere with the sawing of the wood, and the top of the brace is V-shaped or grooved, as shown in Fig. 9, so that the saw may run smoothlyupon it and not be easily displaced. The braces 33 are each held by apair of bolts 34, which are fastened to adjacent blocks 28, and thebolts have ordinary nuts thereon, by adjusting which the tension of thebraces 33 may be regulated, and this arrangement also provides for themoving out and in of the cross-bars 29.

To hold the wood to be sawed in place while it is being cut an angularguide 35 is used, WhlCll'lS supported above the saws and forms anabutment for the wood and holds the latter in place, so that it does notwabble excessively while the saws are passing through it. To furtherguide the saws as well as the wood, the guide 35 is slotted at thebottom, as shown at 35 in Fig. 5, and both series or sets of saws passthrough the slots. The guide 35 is supported on bars or rods 36, whichare placed at right angles to each other, and the guide has preferablykeepers 37 to receive the rods 36, to which they may be fastened byordinary set-screws. Any other convenient means may be employed forsupporting the guide without affecting the principle of the machine.

The cross-bars are supported on posts 33, which are secured to thebearings 30 of the eross-bars 29, and thus when the cross-bars areadjusted the guide-bars are also adjusted and the guide is easilysupported in a central position in the machine.

The wood 39 may be fed to the machine in any convenient way, and when itis dropped in position in front of the guide 35 it is quickly sawed intosticks 40 in the manner above described, and drops downward upon acarrier 41, which maybe made to convey it.

to any desired locality, and the carrier may be of any usual form and,as illustrated, comprises an ordinary carrying-belt 42, which moves overdrums 43 one of which is driven by a pulley 4:4.

It will be readily seen that the main principle of my invention consistsof the two series of band-saws traveling at angles to each other and indifferent planes, and that the other accessories of the machine maybeconsiderably changed without affecting the invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. A wood cutting machine, comprising a plural seriesof band saws,the cutting portion of one series crossing above thecutting portion of the opposite series both such cutting portionsrunning substantially horizontal and the toothed edges being uppermost,and a wood guide supported above the saws whereby a block of wooddropped upon the saws will be sawed and the pieces dropped between thesaws, substantially as described.

2. A wood cutting machine, comprising a pluralseries of band saws, thecutting portion of one series crossing above the cutting portion of theother series both such cutting portions running substantially horizontaland the toothed edges being uppermost, a wood guide supported above thesaws to guide a block of wood'to them, and means for adjusting theguide, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with a series of band saws, of the wood guideinclosing adjoining sides of the work and serving as an abutment toguide the wood to the saws, the guide having slots therein to receiveand guide the saws, substantially as described.

4. The combinatiomof the supporting cross bars,the saw guides carriedthereby,the crossing series of saws traveling through the guides, a woodguide supported above the saws,and means for supporting the guide fromthe cross bars, substantially as described.

5. A wood cutting machine, comprising a double series of band saws, thecutting portion of one series traveling above the cutting portion of theother series and the two series crossing as specified, and an angularguide for wood held on adjustable supports above the saws and providedwith slots to receive and guide the-saws, substantially as described.

(3. In a wood cutting machine, the combination with the band sawsarranged in crossing series, of the cross bars near the saws, theblocksclamped to the bars and the guide rollers journaled on the blocks andembracing the saws, substantially as described.

7. A wood cutting machine, comprising a plural series of band sawsarranged one above the other, a series of cross bars slidably mounted onsupports and arranged to cross each series of saws, and saw guides onthe cross bars arranged to successively twist the saws, substantially asdescribed.

8. A wood cutting machine, comprising a plural series of band saws, thecuttingportion of one series traveling above the cutting portion of theother series both such cutting portions running substantially horizontaland with their toothed edges uppermost, a wood guide supported above theintersecting points carried by the cross bars and adapted to twist thesaws, substantially as described.

10. A wood cutting machine, comprising aplural series of crossing bandsaws, one series being arranged above another, cross bars arranged atright angles to each other and crossing both series of saws, cross rodsmounted inslidable supports on the cross bars, and a Wood guide securedto the cross rods,the guide having two sides atangles to each other andwith slots therein to receive the saws, substantially as described.

- WILLIAM F. HUTCIIINSON. Witnesses:

J. W. BLODGET'I, WARREN B. HUTCHINSON.

